Lee Thean-jeen explained

Lee Thean-jeen
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Penang, Malaysia
Education:Penang Free School
Alma Mater:Boston University's College of Communication
Other Names:Li Tianren
Years Active:2000–present
Module:
Child:yes
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Headercolor:lightblue
C:李天仁
Poj:Lí Thian-jîn
Tl:Lí Thian-jîn
J:Lei5 Tin1 Jan4
P:Lǐ Tiānrén

Lee Thean-jeen (born in 1968 or 1969)[2] is a Malaysian-born director, screenwriter and television showrunner based in Singapore. He is best known for the Mediacorp's Channel 5 drama series AlterAsians, The Singapore Short Story Project, The Pupil, Code Of Law, Zero Calling, Reunion and This Land Is Mine.

He has also written or co-written, and directed the feature films Homecoming, Love...and Other Bad Habits, Everybody's Business, Bring Back the Dead and The Big Day.

He was also a writer, director and executive producer on the Southeast Asian adaptation of the Scandinavian noir series, The Bridge for Viu and HBO Asia. In 2019, he created Singapore's first multilingual drama, 128 Circle.

He is currently the managing director of Weiyu Films, a self-founded content-creation and production company.[3]

Early life

Born in Penang, Malaysia, Lee attended Penang Free School, then graduated with a summa cum laude in Broadcasting And Film from Boston University's College of Communication.

Career

After graduating from college, Lee went to work for the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, producing corporate videos,[4] before leaving to become one of the founding members of Film Formations, a Singapore-based production company.[5]

His first drama series, AlterAsians[6] (2000), an adaptation of short stories by Singaporean novelists into telemovies and shot on 16mm film, won several awards, including Best Single Drama or Telemovie at the Asian Television Awards 2000.[7] [8]

A follow-up series of short story adaptations, The Singapore Short Story Project, won the Asian Television Award in 2003 for Best Drama Series[9] and again, in 2008, for Best Single Drama or Telemovie.[10]

The Pupil, a legal drama which he co-created, executive-produced, wrote, and directed was well received by local audiences and critics alike, winning two major awards at the 2010 Asian Television Awards: Best Actress In A Leading Role for Rebecca Lim and Best Actor In A Supporting Role for Lim Kay Tong.[11]

Code Of Law, a drama series on the criminal justice system in Singapore, has entered its fifth season, and spawned a universe of spin-off shows: Derek, its sequel Derek II and Forensik. All these shows have crossover characters and continuing storylines that culminate in 2020's Code Of Law: Final.

Zero Calling, a vigilante thriller based on a script by Lee, has entered its second season, after picking up a Best Actor award for its leading actor, Pierre Png, and a Silver Remi for Best TV Miniseries at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival.[12]

Lee was the first director to occupy Discovery Networks Asia's Documentary Director's Chair, a crossover programme for film and television filmmakers who have built a reputation for innovative, high-quality filmmaking to produce documentary work for Discovery Channel's global network.[13]

His first feature film, Homecoming, starring Jack Neo, Ah Niu, Afdlin Shauki and Rebecca Lim was one of the top-grossing local films in Singapore and Malaysia in 2011.[14]

More recently, he was co-executive producer and director on The Bridge, an Asian adaptation of the award-winning Scandinavian noir of the same name.[15]

Legacy

He has appeared on The Straits Times Power List in Entertainment, a barometer of the top ten most influential people in the local media industry.[16] In 2018, he was named in Variety as one of Singapore's 10 TV players to look out for.[17]

Filmography

Feature films

Television series

Web series

Telemovies

Documentaries

Short films

Awards and nominations

128 Circle Season 2

This Land Is Mine

The Bridge

Derek II

Divided 分裂

The Hush

Rise

Bring Back The Dead

Zero Calling

Code Of Law

The Pupil

Homecoming (笑着回家)

The Singapore Short Story Project

AlterAsians

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bringing back a dead son . The Straits Times . 23 August 2023 . en . 7 January 2015.
  2. Web site: Singapore's Digital & English Formats Score At Asian Television Awards 2014 » Popspoken. Popspoken. 14 December 2014.
  3. Web site: But Is The Book Better? Special Event: Gone Case. TicketMash.
  4. Web site: How to improve S'pore's film, TV production: Lee Thean-jeen. 23 March 2012. Yahoo Entertainment Singapore.
  5. Web site: Speech by Dr Tan Chin Nam, Chairman of Media Development Authority at the Media Education Scheme Awards Ceremony. Ministry of Communications and Information.
  6. Web site: Alter Asians [videorecording] / Arts Central presents ; a Film Formations production ; Mediacorp TV12 ; produced by Yvonne Koh, Sharon Ho. - Version details - Trove]. nla.gov.au.
  7. Web site: Newspaper Article - Awards can wait, actors must come first, says director of Alter Asians. nlb.gov.sg.
  8. Web site: 2000 Winners. Asian Television Awards. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150521184016/http://ata.onscreenasia.com/2000-winners/. 2015-05-21.
  9. Web site: The Singapore short story project [videorecording] : based on the short stories of Gopal Baratham, Geraldine Kan, Ho Min Fong, David Leo, Alfian Sa'at / Film Formations [for] MediaCorp TV12 Arts Central ; directed by Lee Thean-Jeen ; produced by Goh Kar Seen.]. National Library Board, Singapore. nl.sg.
  10. Web site: 2003 Winners. Asian Television Awards. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522050810/http://ata.onscreenasia.com/2003-winners/. 2015-05-22.
  11. Web site: 2010 Winners. Asian Television Awards. 2015-09-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20150913020533/http://ata.onscreenasia.com/2010-winners/. 2015-09-13. dead.
  12. Web site: Zero in on Pierre Png. SAMANTHA GOH. The Straits Times. 27 April 2015.
  13. Web site: Discovery launches $3m Singapore pact. C21media.
  14. [List of Singaporean films]
  15. Web site: HBO Asia Boards Regional Remake of 'The Bridge'. The Hollywood Reporter. 28 August 2018.
  16. Web site: NewspaperSG - THE STRAITS TIMES, 11 December 2008 .
  17. Web site: Singapore: 10 TV Players to Look Out for from the Island State . 14 October 2018 .
  18. Web site: 2001 Winners. Asian Television Awards. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150913020517/http://ata.onscreenasia.com/2001-winners/. 2015-09-13.

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